Titanic
by Natnat24
Summary: Dennis encounters his ex-girlfriend at a coffee shop after almost a year of being broken up. They both realize they are still hurting from the harsh break-up and decide to take a stroll in the park to talk things over. (One-Shot & AU)


This is a one-shot and AU of the movie Split. This is also my first time posting a story on here. Hope you enjoy and let me know if you guys want me to post more one-shots. :)

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Morning light shined through the spotless windows in the coffee shop casting a golden haze on everything in its path. Street lights shut off in a domino effect as the honking of taxis and cars rang loudly through the city that never sleeps.

The rigid man made his way down the crowded sidewalk, hands in gray jacket pockets, avoiding the touch of strangers as they bustled by on their way to work. From the inside of his pants pocket, he pulled out an orange handkerchief and wrapped it around the handle of the coffee shop door. He stopped in his path briefly to admire the clean windows and then made his way into the warm exterior. The smell of coffee and new books filled his nostrils as he walked toward the counter and ordered himself the usual. A coffee with unflavored creamer, two packets of sugar, and a plain bagel. He grabbed his breakfast and sat down at a table by himself, basking in the quiet atmosphere the café had to offer.

The bell above the door dinged as a woman with dark, shoulder-length hair entered. She wore a long, black coat with matching combat boots and simple blue jeans. The shirt underneath was hidden by the coat, but it was obvious she was dressed in layers due to the cold weather outside. The man immediately noticed her, knowing who she was as soon as she arrived.

He rubbed his bald head anxiously, deciding to gather his coffee and bagel and leave before she could recognize him. As he placed his bare hand on the door handle, the woman called out to him.

"Dennis?" A tinge of hesitation was evident in her voice, not knowing if she was correct in her assumption of the name she was calling out since all she saw was the back of him.

Dennis ran through the various outcomes of the situation in which he now found himself. To him, every possible scenario ended badly, but he would hate himself later if he decided to go with the option of ignoring her and walking out of the shop.

He turned around, his eyes connecting with hers.

"E-Esther." His rough voice stuttered and a breath hitched in his throat at the close sight of her. She was still as gorgeous as he remembered. The image of the way the corners of her lips curled when she smiled and how her eyes would become so squinted they almost looked closed came into his mind. His thoughts wandered off a bit and he forced himself to look away.

Standing before him was the woman whose heart he broke. No, not broke. Shattered. He let his own insecurities get in the way of both their happiness and, in turn, caused their relationship to sink like the Titanic.

She smiled at him. "It's been a while." Looked down at the coffee in her hands. "I've missed you."

A glimmer of hope sprung in his chest. Just how the ruins of Titanic were lost and then found so many years later, would they be able to hold onto that same expectation?

Barry nagged at Dennis in the back of his mind. _Ask her to go for a walk around the park. Ask her!_

Dennis shut his eyes, brushing off Barry and pushing him further from the light. In the end, he heeded his advice. "Do you want to go for a walk around the park? There's one near here."

Esther looked up in surprise, not expecting him to make that request. If anything, she would have thought he'd push her away again. But unbeknownst to her, he began seeing Dr. Fletcher again and was getting better. It was a long and arduous process at times, but he was doing his best. He still had trouble with physical contact, but he wasn't as apprehensive toward it as he was before he dated Esther. She helped him through a lot, but when they broke up, he went through a downward spiral that ended in him almost ending his life. During that dark time, the other alters and Dr. Fletcher helped bring him out of the black that was consuming him.

"Yeah. Sure." A minute smirk itched at the corner of her lips, but she bit it back, not wanting to get her hopes up.

Dennis opened the coffee shop door for her and he stepped out after her. He quickly ate the rest of his bagel and chugged the other half of his coffee not wanting it to get in the way of the conversation he wanted to have with her. He wanted to explain himself and what happened to their relationship, he at least owed her that.

A gentle breeze blew through the trees in the park, rustling the brittle leaves and causing them to rain down over the sidewalk and benches. Esther decided to break the silence.

"So, how have you been? How has everyone else been?" She knew about the many alters and about the trauma Kevin went through as a child. She had met Dennis when he and the alters first started their therapy with Dr. Fletcher and the two of them began dating about five years after that. Their relationship had lasted almost a year and, after it ended, another year had almost passed where they had not spoken or seen each other. And now, here they were. Their healing hearts pumping hope through their veins.

"I'm doing better. They are too. I started seeing Dr. Fletcher again." His voice came out hoarser than he anticipated. Nerves began racking up as he built the courage to explain to her more truthfully everything that transpired that caused the demise of their relationship. This was apart of the process of him trying to be good, to be better.

"I, um, I think I owe you an explanation about what happened to us." He hesitated, then continued. "I was scared. And I let my worries and doubts get in the way. And I want to say I'm sorry for hurting you." He clenched his hands together firmly behind his back while avoiding her gaze.

Esther noticed a bench to their right and suggested they sit down to continue talking. They were both thankful to see that the park was mostly empty save for a few people jogging by.

"I was really wounded by the things you said, but I always knew they weren't true. Those words came from a place of many years of hurt and betrayal. But, Dennis, I would never hurt you." Her gaze on him was intent and he couldn't help but stare back. He was like a fish caught in the net of her eyes, unable to escape.

"I know. I know." He looked away, pinching his lips together and rubbing his head in frustration, focusing his attention on a small bird perched on a branch in the tree in front of them.

"I still love you, Dennis. I mean, you're my first love, how could I not. Not a day has gone by that I don't think about you. And seeing you today made me realize that. But I think I owe you an apology as well. I feel like I pressured you too much instead of letting you take your time to open up. And that was completely wrong of me. And I'm sorry about that."

Both of his hands twitched in his lap as he contemplated on reaching one over to hold her hand or touch her face. He wanted to try again. Wanted to give their relationship a second chance and a small gesture like that, he thought, would be enough for her to know that since words were failing him at the moment. He gritted his teeth and acted, opting to move a strand of hair out of her face and gently run his fingertips along her jaw. A breath caught in her throat and she gulped a little too audibly for her liking, shocked at his bold gesture.

Words finally found their way back to his mouth. "I want to try again."

A smile stretched across her lips as she fluttered her eyes shut and leaned into his tender touch. Her hand came up to her face and connected with his hand, a warmth coursing through both of them. He felt her head nod against his hand and a jolt of relief filled both of them.

He carefully pulled her head towards his and leaned his forehead against hers, their eyes closed and enjoying this moment that would mark the beginning of a wonderful journey. It was not going to be easy all the time, they knew that. But they were ready to face any challenges and obstacles together.


End file.
